A subtitle of this book is "The Lost World Under the Sea," and it's somewhat based on the famed legend of Atlantis. That was an ancient city or continent that was supposedly inundated by the sea. Whether it actually existed has been a question that has lasted for thousands of years. Greek philosopher Plato wrote about it around 360 BC, so even his possible information was second-hand. Tsunamis (sea storms) have existed for centuries and if there really was an Atlantis, any survivors may have fled inland and built new cities.

In any event, this story was written by Arthur Conan Doyle as he took a break from his tales about fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. He did that for the simple reason he would get tired of the Holmes literature and would do something different for his own peace of mind. This is one of the results, so listen now to some attention-getting mystery fiction.